Art, music and more return to downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring Park on April 27^th-29^th, 2018, featuring more artists than ever before.

Panoply kicks off at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 27^th, welcoming back favorite local and regional musical acts as well as nationally-recognized and critically-acclaimed bands and musicians, the Art Marketplace presented by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, STEAM Interactives, craft beer, festival food, select local food trucks and more.

Featured Music: This year Arts Huntsville welcomes nearly 50 performances to the Panoply stages, 17 of which are new to the festival, including Victoria Jones, Remy Neal, Jubal, Campbell Station, and Alex Banks.

Striking Matches

Friday night kicks off with performances by Alan Little on the Indie Stage and Unknown Lyric on the Showcase Stage. To close out the night, Panoply welcomes Nashville duo Striking Matches. The duo’s music has been lauded by Rolling Stone magazine and described as “the sweet spot at the intersection of country, rock, and blues.” Fans of the show Nashville have heard their songs performed by the show’s lead cast members in its first four seasons.

Saturday will showcase local and regional talent throughout the day. Huntsville duo, The Retrovales will return for their second year at Panoply, this year offering their harmonies as the opening act for Saturday night’s headlining performance.

Steven Page

Arts Huntsville is excited to welcome 2018 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Steven Page to the Showcase Stage. Festivalgoers may recognize many of his songs from the radio, including “It’s all Been Done,” “Brian Wilson,” and “If I Had A Million Dollars” from his former life as a founding member of the Canadian rock band the Barenaked Ladies. In his solo career, Steven has continued his artistic evolution. In 2016, he released his latest album Heal Thyself, Part One: Instinct, followed by a two-week critically acclaimed residency at New York City’s storied Café Carlyle. He will release his follow-up album Heal Thyself: Part Two later this year.

The New Respects

On Sunday afternoon, the entertainment continues with another Nashville band, The New Respects. NPR Music describes their sound as a “bright-eyed take on old-school rock” and American Blues Scene shared that the “group has the energy of House of Pain on espresso” with lead vocalist Jasmine Mullen hypnotizing audiences with her barefoot dancing, testifying vocals and authoritative stage presence. Last year Rolling Stone proclaimed them one of “10 Artists You Need to Know.”

Click here to listen to a playlist of this year’s Panoply Arts Festival musicians.

Explore the full 2018 Panoply Lineup

NEW TO THE FESTIVAL – Rain or Shine VIP Tickets: This year Arts Huntsville will offer limited-availability “Rain or Shine” VIP Tickets for Steven Page’s performance that includes a weekend pass to Panoply. VIP guests will have a meet and greet with Steven before the show, where they’ll enjoy priority seating in reserved festival chairs to take home that night and use for the rest of the weekend. Or, In the event of inclement weather on Saturday night, these guests will enjoy an intimate performance in Spencer Hall at the Huntsville Museum of Art. Rain or Shine tickets are $120 per person. Click here to get your VIP ticket. Limited tickets available!

Art Marketplace –This year the juried Art Marketplace, presented by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama, includes more artists than ever before. One of the most popular features of the festival, the Art Marketplace will feature 110 artists from 16 states, providing prime shopping in a beautiful setting in and around the newly renovated Big Spring Park. Of the 110 exhibitors, 40% are new to the festival and more than 26 North Alabama artists will showcase their work.

Explore 2018 Art Marketplace Exhibitors

Arts in Action – Regional artists will offer demonstrations of their crafts at Panoply’s Arts in Action tents, where festivalgoers can get a first-hand look at the process of painting, screen-printing, quilting, jewelry, and glasswork.

Christina Wegman painting en plein air at the 2017 Panoply Arts Festival

Panoply Poster Artist – A popular annual Panoply tradition is the commissioning of an original artwork to serve as the poster for the event. This year local artist and small business owner Christina Wegman was chosen as the 2018 Panoply Poster Artist. For the past two years Christina has showcased her work as a Panoply Arts in Action artist, where she has painted en plein air for festival attendees. Wegman’s love of exploration and beauty has shaped her work over the years and led her to a full-time career as an artist and local business owner in downtown Huntsville. Her fine arts education has come mostly by means of observation, visiting museums, and the artistic legacy passed on to her by her grandfather, a sculptor, and mother, an artist and teacher.

“Christina has captured the spirit of Panoply while painting on-site at the festival over the  past two years, and we wanted to celebrate her love of Huntsville as our 2018 Panoply poster artist. She has combined both her abstract and traditional styles to give us a creative twist on everything from the festival fireworks to our beloved Art Marketplace,” said Allison Dillon-Jauken, Arts Huntsville executive director.

Hands-On Interactives – STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) interactives and hands-on art activities return to Panoply again this year, giving festivalgoers of all ages the chance to discover scientific lessons through art and get in touch with their creative side.

STEAM Interactives include:

• Defense Acquisition University’s Golden Gadget – Festivalgoers will learn about the golden ratio through art, architecture and nature after which they will make their own golden ratio divider.
• Huntsville Ballet Company’s Rocket Dancers – Festivalgoers will learn the physics of a leap and then make a straw rocket.
• Huntsville STEAMworks’ Wonder Whirlers presented by WOW! Internet, Cable, and Phone – Using a chipboard, festival goers will learn the science of optics by making a Thaumatrope and observe a zoetrope.
• Huntsville AL L5 Society’s Go-Go Lunar Rovers presented by National Space Club – Festivalgoers are off to the races to learn about different types of energy as they make and test a car made from household items.

Other hands-on activities include:

• Ferocious Fire Breathers presented by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Alabama – Create ferocious fire breathing dragons made from upcycled materials
• Gigantic Geometry – Using brightly colored yarn, festivalgoers will create large-scale geometric shapes in the park
• Brilliant Birdies presented by Randolph School – Craft colorful watercolor birds
• Puck’s Portals presented by Parkway Place Mall – Build whimsical fairy doors made with popsicle sticks, buttons, and paint
• Huntsville Symphony Guild’s Discover Music presented by Nicole Jones Development – Huntsville Symphony Guild returns with their instrument Petting Zoo.
• Face Painting presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama – Festivalgoers can get their faces painted at one of the largest and most popular tents in the park

First Baptist Church’s Community Mosaic – Tiles from an iconic piece of Huntsville public art gets new life at Panoply Arts Festival. First Baptist Church will lead the community in creating a new mural using pieces from the beloved Cosmic Jesus mural that is currently undergoing renovation. The final mosaic piece of art, created by festivalgoers, will be placed on display somewhere in the city to live long after the festival weekend ends.

Military Salute Night – Another Panoply tradition continues on Friday, April 27^th. Military Salute Night, sponsored by Dynetics, will welcome active duty military, Armed Forces reserves and their dependents to the park for a free evening of entertainment. The evening will feature a performance by the U.S. Army Materiel Command Band.

Panoply Beer and Festival Food – Festivalgoers can enjoy local tastes along with Panoply’s diverse array of art and music. The popular Craft Beer Tent returns, presented by Wind Creek Wetumpka, featuring beer from breweries across this region. This year it will once again feature a special Panoply Beer, brewed specifically for the festival by long-time festival partner Straight To Ale. Panoply will also showcase a great assortment of festival food and food trucks.

Festival Seating – Enjoy music and performances at three outdoor stages with open-air seating. Festival patrons are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to sit on as they enjoy the lineup of Panoply performers. Festivalgoers can also purchase branded festival chairs in the Panoply Stores.

Panoply Fireworks sponsored by Dynetics

Fireworks – Friday and Saturday night end the night with a stunning fireworks display sponsored by Delta Research.

Online Ticketing and Weekend Pass – Arts Huntsville is once again offering a Panoply weekend pass available online in advance for just $18. The pass offers an affordable way to enjoy Panoply’s diverse entertainment all weekend. Weekend passes are only available until 4:00 p.m. on April 27, 2018. Day passes are $10 and can be purchased in advance online or at the event. Rain or Shine VIP concert tickets are also now available for $120, and include a weekend pass to Panoply Arts Festival, priority seating, Panoply festival chair, and a Meet and Greet with Steven Page before the show OR intimate indoor concert in case of inclement weather. Tickets are on sale now at artshuntsville.org. Children 12 and under are free of charge.

GET TICKETS HERE

Panoply Arts Festival will be held April 27-29, 2018. Panoply’s hours are:  Friday, April 27 from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Art Marketplace closes at 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, April 29 from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.

To stay up to date on the latest Panoply updates, follow Arts Huntsville on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.